1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to mailing processes. More specifically, the present application relates to documenting mail work flow.
2. Description of the Background
There are presently various methods for sending an article to a recipient, including shipping using various shipping vendors such as FedEx®, United Parcel Service (UPS®), and DHL®, various local couriers, and creating a mail request for mail sent through a postal service (e.g., United States Postal Service(USPS). In some circumstances, it may be desirable to send the article by mail. For example, where a sender desires proof of delivery, the sender may wish to send an article by Certified Mail™, whereby the sender receives a receipt stamped with the date of mailing.
Mail, as used in the present patent application, refers to the system whereby articles are delivered to a recipient by a postal service. In the United States, mail is sent via the United States Postal Service. An article of mail may be an envelope, box, package, or other mailing container. To send an article by mail, a sender must pay a postage fee. Proof of payment may appear as a postage stamp, which may be adhered, inked, or otherwise affixed to the article. Postage fees for sending an article through the mail may vary based on sender information, recipient information, various characteristics of the article (e.g., size, shape, weight, contents, value), and various add-on mailing services, such as return receipt, insurance, etc. Postage, therefore, is usually determined after the article is packaged, weighed, sized, addressed, etc.
Some users or enterprises may use pre-paid postage meters, which calculates and generates postage stamps. Postage meters can maintain a record concerning how much postage has been used. For example, a postage meter may subtract the rate of each generated postage stamp from the pre-paid amount and keep a running total. Some users or enterprises, however, may desire more detailed information, such as allocation by department, to a particular account, sender information, recipient information, etc. Where a user or enterprise sends many articles through the mail, it may become difficult to maintain accurate and detailed records concerning each mailed article.
Presently, maintaining such detailed records may require that for each article, an individual manually record (e.g., type an entry in a database) various details, such as sender name, sender address, department, account number, recipient name, recipient address, etc. Further, after postage fees are determined, such information may be recorded and associated with the other details concerning the particular article of mail. As an example, a user wishing to send an article by Certified Mail™ must fill out the Certified Mail™-specific mailing label form with information such as sender address, recipient name and address, etc. Postage must also be determined, paid, and a postage stamp affixed to the article before it can be sent. The only documentation may include the Certified Mail™ receipt, a copy or photocopy of the certified shipping label, and perhaps a postage machine record concerning the postage, size, weight of the article, etc. The various pieces of information concerning the one mailed article are kept separately, in hard copies, and/or scattered among information concerning various other articles of mail.
FIG. 1 is an illustration of a typical prior art system for documenting mail work flows. As illustrated, such presently available systems may include a package table 102, a tracking log 104, a billing log 106, a postage machine 108, a postage log 110, and a data entry station 112.
The package station 102 is an area for preparing an article for mailing. The package station 102 may be a mail room, a workstation, desktop, or a combination of the foregoing. At the package station 102, the article may be packaged and labeled as necessary. An article being sent using certain mailing services may need to present certain mailing information in a specific mailing label form. Such mailing labels may be created manually or printed from a computerized printing device. Some computerized systems allow a user to save the mailing label electronically (e.g., as a document).
The tracking log 104 is any register for recording information concerning the mailing service, including label information from the mailing label. For example, for each article sent by mail, tracking log 104 may record label information such as the sender's name, the sender's address, department, the recipient's name, the recipient's address, account information, type of mailing services, tracking numbers, etc. The tracking log 104 may be a handwritten register, or an electronic record, such as a spreadsheet, and the like.
Tracking log 104 may be combined or maintained in conjunction with a billing log 106. The billing log 106 is any register for recording various expenditures associated with mailing an article. For example, for each article sent by mail, billing log 106 may record information concerning packaging materials, various mailing service add-ons (e.g., Certified™ mail, insurance). The billing log 106 may include a handwritten register, or an electronic record, such as a spreadsheet.
The postage machine 108 is any device for determining and issuing postage stamps for an article to be mailed. The postage machine 108 may include equipment to determine an article weight, to calculate postage, and to issue postage stamps (e.g., adhesive stamps, ink stamps). At the postage machine 108, the postage fees related to mailing the article may be recorded in the postage log 110.
The postage log 110 is a record of the postage information for mailing an article. Postage information includes the postage fee charged for mailing the article and/or information concerning characteristics of the article used in determining the postage fee. The postage log 110 may include a handwritten register, or an electronic record, such as a spreadsheet. In some embodiments, the postage log 110 may be kept as an electronic record by postage machine 108.
The data entry station 112 is a device where the mailing information from the tracking log 104, the billing information from billing log 106, and the postage information from the postage log 110 may be entered and then reconciled for cost allocation, cost recovery, and various accounting processes, for instance. The various types of information from multiple sources complicate record-keeping and information analysis. Managing information in such a manner may be inefficient, time-consuming, and prone to error.
There is, therefore, a need in the art for improved systems and methods for documenting mail work flows.